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The 29th Infantry Division (29th ID), also known as the ‘Blue and Gray Division’, is an infantry division of the United States Army based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It is currently a formation of the...

The 35th Infantry Division, formerly known as the 35th Division, was first organised on August 25, 1917, as a unit of the National Guard, with troops from Missouri and Kansas. It was deactivated in 1919, reconstituted in 1935 and...

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A professional press photographer, Mr Ellis moved to Cornwall from London at the outbreak of the Second World War. From 1939 until the late 1970s, he dedicated much of his life to documenting various news stories and community events right across Cornwall...

The museum’s collections tell the stories of the 32nd and 46th of Foot, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) and the Light Infantry (LI) regiments.  The DCLI and LI no longer exist operationally but are very much alive for the soldiers, off...

The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army which existed from 1881 to 1959.The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 by the merger of the 32nd (Cornwall Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot and the 46th (South...

Welcome to the Light Infantry section of our website.  Click on any of the links below to find out more.  

The Light Infantry was formed on 10 July 1968 from the four regular Light Infantry Battalions of The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry (SCLI), The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) and The Durham L...

We rely on support from many individuals and organisations to enable us to do our work.  This page lists the LI people who support the Regiment's Heritage through regular giving.  Thank you all - your support means a great deal to us! You...

On this page you can find out about our Light Infantry Galleries and some of the star objects in the collection.  The Light Infantry museum collection and archive has been at Bodmin since its move from Winchester in 2009.  The extensive galleries...

To find out more about the Light Infantry, visit: http://www.lightinfantry.co.uk/ If you would like to find out more about other Army Museums in the UK, a good place to start is the website of the Army Museums Ogilby Trust (AMOT) http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/...

If you'd like to contact us please use the contact form or find our contact details below. If you have a research enquiry, please visit our 'Research' page  for further information before contacting us.

The Prize Enter our prize draw to win an awesome test drive of a Ferret Mark II Scout Car at Davidstow in Cornwall on a former Second World War airfield. Before you test drive, you’ll receive a 30-minute lesson with an expert instructor by y...

The Keep is a Unique Part of Cornwall’s Heritage. Join us in our fight to save it for future generations. In August 2024 structural problems requiring urgent repair were discovered and the building was closed to the public, leaving the museum w...

Be Part of Bodmin's Heritage and Join the Friendly Team at the Keep. We are a museum in the historic old army keep in Bodmin, sharing the stories of courage and bravery in the original home of Cornwall's army, where thousands of men from the county,...

Leaving a gift to the museum in your Will is a great way to help secure its long-term future. Every penny from gifts received goes towards securing the future of the museum, caring for its collections and telling soldiers' stories.   Every...

Bodmin Keep is over 160 years old and is the historic home of the Army in Cornwall.  This former headquarters of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry houses the museum, with more than three hundred years of military history, a library and meeting...

The museum and its collections have been developed over many years by dedicated people, with the support of many funding bodies. The museum stands as a testament to our soldiers, their families and communities. Looking to the future, our vision is to...

The museum holds exhibitions each year to bring the collection to life and tell new stories. These exhibitions are often curated by people from the community, bringing fresh, and sometimes challenging,  perspectives and insights.   We aim to...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AvymnUL3Pg 1857 and the siege of Lucknow were a turning point for British colonialism in India. Up until this point, the British East India Company, a trading company, had taken control of large parts of the...

Sir Colin Campbell On 14 November 1857, Sir Colin Campbell and his 4,500 men advanced on Lucknow. They flanked the rebels from the east and were supported by attacks from those trapped within Lucknow. Eventually Campbell reached the Residency...

Lady Julia Inglis Around 3,000 British and Indian soldiers and civilians were trapped in Lucknow under siege. During this time, Lady Julia Inglis and Mrs Adelaide Case kept diaries. They were married to Brigadier John Inglis and Colonel William...

“Is it a military mutiny, or is it a national revolt? Is the conduct of the troops the consequence of a sudden impulse, or is it the result of an organized conspiracy?”  Mr Benjamin Disraeli, former Prime Minister, MP for Buckinghamshire in ...

In 1600 a group of London merchants founded the East India Company to profit from the sale of Southeast Asian goods including spices, silk and indigo. They travelled to the region we now call India and competed against other European companies for land...

Adjutant General Henry Havelock Adjutant General Henry Havelock had recently led a recapture of Cawnpore (Kanpur) 48 miles from Lucknow. His men were exhausted and were only strong enough to march to Lucknow when Lieutenant General James Outram...

By late March 1858, the British and their Indian allies had regained control of Lucknow. By June 1858, they had forced the majority of rebel groups to surrender. In the aftermath, several political changes were made to try and ensure that an...

There were many reasons why the Indian soldiers rebelled and why they were joined by Indian nobles and civilians. As the British East India Company took control, they introduced various political, economic, and religious changes. They were aware that...

In 1857, several massacres took place at Cawnpore (Kanpur), a city in northern India, 48 miles from Lucknow. British and Indian soldiers were responsible for the torture and killing of soldiers and civilians. The Siege of Cawnpore On 5...

On 30 May 1857, rebellion broke out in the city of Lucknow as Indian soldiers targeted British officers and set fire to their bungalows. In the chaos, many civilians fled to the centre of the city. They took refuge in and around the British Residency....

Bodmin, like all towns was hugely affected by the impact of the Second World War, both from a military and civilian perspective. This photography exhibition gives an insight into life at this time. From the departure of the Regiment for...

Exploring the British Army's role in disaster relief https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ebW5NHZdwA The ‘Dealing with Disaster’ exhibition investigates one of the four core roles of the British Army, to Deal with Disaster and how they deal wit...

How do we create, collect and display objects to remember our history? What can souvenirs and war trophies tell us about the experiences of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) and Light Infantry (LI) regiments deployed abroad? This exhibition e...

A History of the Design and Wear of Military Uniform https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJup2dMDiao The exhibition, ‘Suited and Booted’ tells a history of the design and wear of military uniform. It builds on the common narrative in military uni...

What was the Joint Services School for Linguists?  In 1951 the abandoned World War 2 Walker Lines military camp in Bodmin, which had been the base for US troops leading up to D-Day in 1944, suddenly became alive with activity again. Because of...

The Trench - Commemorating the Centenary of World War 1 "We thought the whole production was excellent and the whole ‘experience’ from 'enlisting' to the review of soldiers and exhibition at the end was excellent.  The acting was superb and a m...

Alfred Charles Sambrook was the third of the six sons and five daughters of Henry and Sarah Sambrook of Limehouse, London. His eldest brother, Henry, served with the Royal Artillery and is assumed to have survived the First World War. Alfred was born...

The eldest son of Frederic John Keeling, a solicitor of Colchester and Alice Keeling, nee Chapman was born in Colchester on 23rd March 1886. He had one younger brother Guy William Keeling born in 1890. Both sons attended Bigshotte Rayles Preparatory Boarding...

John Henry Lawrance was born at Paddington, London in 1897 to Walter Edward (died 1954) and Harriet Alice Lawrance nee Pye. The couple had three children John Henry b.1897, Leonard Walter b. 1901 and Violet Edna b.1903. They lived in Paddington and had...

Arthur William Hammans was born around the end on 1845 in Marcham, Berkshire to James Hammans and Jane Spencer who had married in 1844.  Not a lot is known about the family but Arthur can be traced back to an online obituary at Westminster School...

George Mills, the son of Mrs Pilling of 142 Mortlake Road, was born in East London in 1894. George volunteered for enlistment into the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on the 24th February 1915. Little is known of his background except that he was b...

Richard was born in Chasewater, Cornwall in 1895, the only son of Richard Henry Bawden and Emily Prior. He had three sisters, Cecelia born in 18925, Lottie in 1897 and Lilian Maude in 1900. Richard left the village school at the age of 14. In the 1911...

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Thomas Edward Rendle, was born on the 14 December 1884, in Bedminster, Bristol, the eldest of the seven children of James Rendle, a paper merchant’s packer, and Charlotte Rendle, a domestic servant. His mother died in 1898, at which time his father w...

Thomas Hanwright was the third of the four sons and two daughters of Joseph and Minnie Hanwright of West Ham, Essex (today situated in London). His older brother, Joseph, served in the Royal West Kent Regiment, 1st Battalion from 1902 and survived the...

Thomas Richard Stokoe was born on the 5th May 1872 to Richard and Fanny Stokoe in India. His parents Richard Stokoe and Fanny Weichbrodt married in the Hampstead area of London after banns were read in the June & July of that year. Fanny was born...

The only son of renowned artists Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, ‘Alec’ was born in Newlyn on May 26th 1893. Much of his idyllic childhood was spent in the exhilarating company of young artists who shared his love of exploring the wild, rugged natural lan...

William Henry Parrish, born on the 17th of August 1897 in Wanstead, Essex, was the eldest son of ten children. His parents, Elizabeth Emily Parrish (nee Saunders) married William Parrish, a labourer, in June 1896 at The Parish Church of Leyton.1 Unfortunately,...

“It would seem to be a more rational question to ask why the soldier does not succumb to anxiety, rather than why he does." - Psychiatrists Grinker & Speigel, 1945 https://youtu.be/sXfCbqhw0y8 War leaves mental scars as well as p...

Introduction In the 19th century, the psychological impact of battle was not well understood. Many soldiers suffering from mental trauma could not receive the treatment they needed. Yet some pioneering doctors and nurses treated the mind as well...

Doctors in the 19th and early 20th centuries did not always believe that wartime trauma affected the mind. Some believed that their patients had a problem with their central nervous system or their organs. This was particularly true when patients experienced...

The British Army medical services set up a ‘Lunatic’ hospital at Fort Pitt in Chatham, Kent in 1847. Many of the servicemen who were admitted were arriving from postings in India and other tropical areas. Medical Officer Luke Barron proposed that the...

Military personnel put their minds as well as their bodies at risk. These are some of the most common mental health conditions that they might experience during or after their service. Click on the images below to explore more Common Conditions...

The past few decades have brought a greater understanding of the psychological consequences of war, and of what might threaten the mental health of service personnel. Click on the images below to explore more 1980 New Threats...

The ‘Not Just Another Brick in the Wall’ project raised awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder in the military. A community of ex-service personnel, friends, and family came together to march, raise money, and commemorate those who lost their liv...

The First World War transformed our understanding of how war impacts the mind. Psychiatric casualties were seen on a mass scale and with a severity that medics were completely unfamiliar with. Military leaders started to pay more attention to the work...

Far less is understood about the impact of World War Two (WWII) on people's mental health in comparison to World War One (WWI). There were still huge numbers of psychiatric casualties, but new systems were put in place to quickly return traumatised soldiers...

The Light Infantry regiment existed between 1968 and 2007 and many ex-servicemen from the regiment are still part of our museum's community.  Each year the museum hosts the annual reunion of the Cornwall Light Infantry Association and a large part...

This exhibition looks at the circular relationship between military and civilian clothing where each borrow elements from the other. Over time military uniforms have moved from glamour to practicality due to changes in warfare and technology. We have...

Please note, Bodmin Keep is temporarily closed, we will be reopening Spring 2025.  We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. The museum has a large collection of over 12,000 items, most of which are on display.  The collection tells...

While we hold the largest collection of objects and archives relating to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI), we're aware that there are many other places across the County that have material relating to the Regiment.  So, to help researchers...

The museum is an important resource for researchers with an interest in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and the Light Infantry. We have a large library and archive and research at the museum is conducted by staff and knowledgeable volunteers with a...

Our comfortable and accessible meeting room, The Serjeants' Mess, is available for business meetings, lectures, training and community use. There is high-speed wifi, a projector screen and a kitchen adjacent if required.  Please contact us on info@bodminkeep.org...

We are delighted to have worked in partnership with The Museum of Cornish Life at Helston throughout 2021 on a national project developed by Imperial War Museums (IWM). This project saw both museums delivering a range of projects that uncovered lesser-known...

From the men fighting with the territorial 5th Battalion in Normandy, to the Depot Staff based here at Bodmin Keep; as a regiment of the British Army, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry  played a significant role during the Second World War. ...

If any one military episode can be used to demonstrate the muddle and confusion of the British High Command during the first half of the Second World War, it is the unfortunate fate of the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.

The order for the 2nd Battalion of the DCLI to mobilise came at 10:20 on September 1st, 1939. By 1st October, the entire Battalion had landed in France. After being evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, the 2nd spent around three years in Britain before it...

The 30th Battalion remains a rather unknown detachment of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. From guarding significant locations at home in Cornwall, to dealing with prisoner's of war overseas, read on to learn more about the 30th Battalion of the...

During the Second World War, the 5th were a volunteer battalion, part of the Territorial Army - a part time component of the British Army. Despite this, the men landed in Normandy in late June 1944, going on to fight their way across North-West...

Today to the untutored eye, Walker Lines looks like any other industrial estate, but look more closely, and you will see the clues to its fascinating history. First constructed in 1939 as a Second World War military camp, Walker Lines got its...

Our Gift Shop is FREE to visit and sells gifts, souvenirs, toys, books and cards for all ages. By shopping at the museum you are helping us continue to provide our community, educational, and research offers.  The Gift Shop is on the first floor...

Bodmin Keep relies on the generosity of supporters to fulfil its purpose as a educational charity and care for its collection and archives.  Every penny raised from gifts and donations helps to secure the future of the museum.   Donate to...

Find out more about our formal learning sessions here.

Welcome to Bodmin Keep War Stories! A podcast series where we tell the intriguing and surprising stories behind the collection at Bodmin Keep. Find out how ordinary soldiers played their part in some of the biggest conflicts of the last century,...

Introduction This privacy policy explains how we use any personal information we collect about you when you use our website, engage with the Museum, or attend one of our events. 1. Your personal data: the legal basis and what we collect We will need...

New Resources Download our Dig for Victory and 1940s Styling activity booklets which complement our loans boxes. They're full of creative ideas and useful for prompting conversation. Dig-For-Victory-ActivityBooklet-compressed Download...

We love welcoming schools to Bodmin Keep   Learning about heritage in an out-of-classroom environment is invaluable and can really make a subject come alive for the pupils.  Our museum is jam-packed with fascinating artefacts and stories,...

Young Curators is our programme for getting young people involved in the museum. By joining Young Curators, young people can become part of the museum team, develop their creativity, collaborative skills and knowledge, working together on events and activities...

Almost immediately following America’s decision to join the Second World War in December 1941, American and British leaders began planning the tremendous operation of transporting 1.6 million men and their equipment to Britain, providing them with s...

Plan your journey, find our opening times, admission prices and accessibility information here! Simply scroll down the page to find the information you need. Check out our easy to read 'Pre-Visit Guide'  if you need to prepare for your visit. For...

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Cornwall’s Army Museum is at a critical point in its journey to renewal, and its future is in jeopardy. Without Ministry of Defence support, the Army’s 300-year story will disappear from Cornwall. If you live in Cornwall, please write to your MP ...